My invitation today to every person who is sincere in searching for the truth, but has genuine questions: “Come and see.” Come and take a look at Jesus Christ for yourself. Don’t let a garbled version of the truth put you off. Don’t let distortions of the gospel hold you back. This is too important for that. Come and see!
That is the reason why the Gospel of John was written: “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). What will you find when you take an honest look at Jesus Christ?
1. You Will Find Jesus Christ Knows You Completely
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” (John 1:48)
We are not told what Philip was doing under the fig tree. Maybe he was reading the Bible, praying, or confessing some sin. That may be true, but we are not told. We are not told what was in the heart of Nathaniel, but whatever it was, it was already known to Jesus.
You find something similar in the story of the woman at the well, when Jesus says to the woman, “You have had five husbands.” He had never met her before, so how could Jesus possibly have known this? The woman goes into the village to her friends and says, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” (John 4:29). You see her logic: No one could have known this, except God, who knows all things!
Spurgeon says something that many of us have experienced, “How often have I heard inquirers say, ‘It seemed to me, sir, as if that sermon was meant for me, there were points in it which were so exactly like myself, that I felt sure someone had told the preacher about me.’” [1]
Jesus Christ knows you completely. Why would you ever run from someone who knows everything about you and still loves you? There is no reason to run from him and there is nothing that you need ever try to hide from him.
2. You Will Find Jesus Christ Opens the Door of Heaven
“You will see greater things than these… Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:50-51)
Jesus essentially says to Nathaniel, “You have been moved by the fact that I knew exactly what was going on with you when you were sitting under the fig tree. Well, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! You will see heaven itself opened!”
Whatever you have experienced in the Christian life, you ain’t seen nothing yet. You will see heaven opened and the angels ascending and descending—what the world longs to see, but cannot apart from Jesus Christ.
A Principle
The principle is very simple: “You will see greater things than these” (John 1:50). God will give you more light when you follow the light you already have. Nathaniel has been open and responsive to what he knows of Jesus, and on that basis, Jesus says that he will see more.
Believe in Jesus Christ as far as you know Him, and you will know him more. If you demand to have all your questions answered before you will follow, you will never believe. But if you are willing to believe on the basis of what God has shown you, Christ promises that you will see more.
The Christian life is one of faith seeking understanding—not the other way around. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned.
A Picture
The picture, “the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:50), relates to the coming of Jesus into the world, and it is taken from the story of Jacob (Genesis 28). One night, Jacob had an extraordinary dream in which he saw a ladder (or more accurately, a stairway) that extended from earth up to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it.
There is a broad stairway between heaven and earth. There is intense activity on the stairway. Angels are ascending and descending! And what do we find at the top of the stairway? The Lord Himself (Genesis 28:13)!
Earlier in this chapter, John writes, “No one has ever seen God; the only God who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” (John 1:18). So whenever God is made known, it is through the One who is at the Father’s side. This must mean that what Jacob saw was a manifestation of the Son of God, poised at the top of the staircase as if ready to come down into the world!
Now here in the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks of the angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man! The Son of God has become the Son of Man. The One who stood at the top of the stairway, in heaven, with angels ascending to Him, now stands at the bottom of the stairway, on earth, with angels descending on Him.
Jacob saw the Son of God remotely, at a great distance, in heaven. Nathaniel saw the Son of God in the flesh up close and personal. This is why Jesus Christ came into the world, so that you could come into a greater knowledge of God than was even given to Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob, and so that you should know the blessing of “God with us” in Jesus Christ.
Christ is Seated at the Right Hand of the Father
Christ is not at the bottom of the stairway now. Hebrews tells that He is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High far above the angels (Hebrews 1:4). Heaven is open! Angels are ascending and descending as they are sent out to serve those who inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14).
How are you going to get through this week? Our God will supply all that you need according to His riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
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[1] C. H. Spurgeon, from the sermon:“Nathanael and the Fig Tree,” #921, March 20, 1870.https://www.ccel.org/ccel/spurgeon/sermons16.xiv.html
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